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 Written in 1904, the song includes phrases and language that could
be considered sexist or racist, including the line "our coeds are
the fairest," outgoing student body president Sam Ortiz, who is
leading the push, said on Wednesday.
Student officers at the Salt Lake City school passed a resolution on
Tuesday asking for an update of the lyrics.
"I don't necessarily believe the intention was to be discriminatory,
but I do believe that at the time that song was written, our society
was far more exclusive," Ortiz said. "That was the reality of the
era."
Among suggested changes were to remove the reference to the
"fairest" coeds, which Ortiz said could be insensitive to women and
students of color, replacing it with the phrase "our students are
the brightest." He also suggested changing the song's title, "Utah
Man," to "Utah Fan."
Opponents of the change cite discomfort with altering a long-held
tradition. More than 2,700 have joined a "Utah man am I" page on
Facebook, and a sports radio program has planned a campus opposition
rally for Thursday.
"Some traditions should be set aside like flying the Confederate
flag, but I and many students and alumni proudly sing, "I am a Utah
man, sir," said 1971 graduate Karen Crompton.
Historically, many U.S. universities have changed nicknames or fight
songs for reasons including racial sensitivity or because terms had
become outdated.
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The resolution now goes to University President David Pershing. It's
not clear if Pershing can act on his own or if the school's academic
senate would need to approve a change.
"Since there is no policy or precedent in place for advancing a
resolution on the fight song, President Pershing is taking some time
to consider how best to proceed in honoring this request from
student leaders," university spokeswoman Maria O'Mara said in a
statement.
Written by onetime Utah football coach Harvey Holmes, the song is
popular with students, alumni and fans. The university was founded
in 1850 as the University of Deseret by a board established by
then-Mormon church President Brigham Young. Utah was not yet a state
and the territory was predominately populated by white Mormon
settlers.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Michael Perry)
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